PHARMACY: Pasta, pizza are poison for celiac patients

Pasta and pizza are poison for celiacs

JOE GRAEDON and TERESA GRAEDON, King Features Syndicate

Published 5:30 am, Monday, July 24, 2006

Imagine what it would be like to suffer fatigue, anemia, diarrhea, cramps, bloating, reflux, osteoporosis, depression or an unbearable, itchy rash. Now, imagine that your doctor keeps telling you that there's nothing really wrong with you and that it's all in your head.

This is a surprisingly familiar scenario for too many people. They suffer from a common but often unrecognized condition called celiac disease that can cause such symptoms and many more.

This autoimmune disorder is often called the "Great Imposter" because it frequently mimics chronic fatigue, osteoporosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dermatitis or dementia. Some people suffer from migraines, while others experience infertility. All these problems can be caused by an inability to tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

Who would ever suspect that such all-American favorites as pizza, pasta and pretzels could be poison? But for those with celiac disease, such foods and many others create a chain of events that destroys the lining of the small intestine.

When this happens, people with celiac cannot absorb critical nutrients such as iron, calcium and magnesium from the food they eat. Bones can become brittle, blood has a harder time carrying oxygen, and brain function may be compromised. Nerves that detect pain may go haywire, resulting in tingling, burning or numbness in the hands or feet and legs.

Most doctors learned in medical school that celiac disease is a rare pediatric condition, affecting only one child in 5,000, and that it results in diarrhea and failure to thrive. Researchers now have data showing that celiac actually affects one person out of 100. That makes it the most common inherited autoimmune disease in the United States.

Millions of adults have celiac and don't even know it. Dr. Peter Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, estimates that 97 percent of such victims are undiagnosed. Their symptoms may be as varied as severe heartburn or migraine headaches. A rash, called dermatitis herpetiformis, may be mistaken for mosquito bites, eczema, allergies, psoriasis or hives.

If celiac patients continue to eat foods containing gluten, they increase their risk of developing certain cancers, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, esophageal cancer and adenocarcinoma of the small intestine.

Diagnosis is easier than it used to be. There are blood tests (tTG, EMA) that can be helpful, although they are not perfect. The gold standard for diagnosis is an endoscopy in which a tiny bit of intestinal tissue is snipped out for examination (biopsy). All of these tests are accurate only if the patient eats gluten in the weeks beforehand. A gene test under development should show who is susceptible to celiac disease.

Readers who would like to learn more about celiac disease may want a CD of our recent one-hour radio interview with Green. The show covers symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. It is available for $16 from the People's Pharmacy (CD-594), P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027 or from www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Now that celiac disease is known to be common, patients deserve to be tested. A strict gluten-free diet may be lifesaving.

THE PEOPLE'S PHARMACY

Q. My daughter's friend is pregnant and eats Vicks VapoRub. I read in one of your articles about people eating something that's not food. Is it caused by some sort of vitamin deficiency?

A. Vicks VapoRub may have many uses, but it should not be eaten! This familiar salve contains camphor, which can be toxic when ingested. Even if it didn't harm the woman herself, there is the baby to consider.

People sometimes feel compelled to eat strange things if they are deficient in minerals, particularly iron or zinc. Your daughter's friend should be tested to see if she is missing one of these essential minerals. Correcting the deficiency should ease her craving for Vicks.

The last time my husband's cholesterol was checked, it had dropped from around 250 to 150! Could TheraTears Nutrition have contributed to this change?

A. We checked with the scientist who developed this nutritional supplement, Dr. Jeffrey Gilbard. He says there are a number of anecdotal reports that this dietary supplement also can lower cholesterol. In addition to relieving dry eyes, there is some data suggesting that TheraTears Nutrition might improve dry-mouth symptoms in people with Sjogren's syndrome.

Q. Thank you for highlighting the fact that birth control pills reduce libido in some people. I had this problem and had to figure it out myself. Doctors sent me for psychological counseling when the problem was hormonal.

Libido does not return automatically when you stop the oral contraceptive. A short (two or three weeks) daily dose of bio-identical testosterone will bring desire back. I took 1 mg (sublingual) bio-identical testosterone prescribed by my doctor and prepared by a compounding pharmacy.

Another thing about the pill: The progesterone has a depressant effect for some people. Doctors may prescribe antidepressants instead of addressing the cause of the problem.

A. According to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (January 2006), women taking oral contraceptives may have less interest in sex as well as less arousal. This seems to be caused by lower levels of testosterone circulating in the bloodstream.

The therapy that worked for you (stopping the pill and taking testosterone for a short time) might help other women. A doctor familiar with the effects of birth control pills on sexuality should supervise the treatment. We have prepared Guides to Female Sexuality, Sexual Dysfunction and Estrogen and Progesterone for a more in-depth discussion of these concerns. Anyone who would like copies, please send $4 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (63 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. WPZ, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Q. Why do blood pressure readings vary so much? Mine was 124/72 in the morning and went to 144/85 in the afternoon. I don't take blood pressure pills, just OTC allergy medicine.

A. Blood pressure varies throughout the day, but decongestants in allergy pills may raise it.

THE PEOPLE'S HERBAL PHARMACY

Q. My daughter is entering puberty and dealing with the usual underarm body odors. We tried many different deodorants and antiperspirants, to no avail.

I figured if Listerine killed the germs that cause bad breath, it might kill the bacteria that cause underarm odor. I checked with the pediatrician first to make sure it would be safe.

Sure enough, Listerine works. She applies it after showering, lets it dry and then applies an antiperspirant. She can go just about the entire day with barely any odor.

A.
Thanks for sharing this unique solution to a common problem. Listerine contains thymol, eucalyptol, menthol and methyl salicylate. These herbal oils have antifungal and antibacterial properties. Although it is not approved for this use, we're glad to learn it works.

Q. I recently suffered about a dozen fire-ant bites on my ankles. I was buying an OTC anti-itch spray, but the clerk told me to dab toothpaste on the bites and I would not get those hard little white blisters. She said it was the fluoride in the paste that worked. I did it, and 24 hours later, the bites were gone, with no sores or blisters. Only the two or three I missed still remained. Do you think that this is just placebo?

A. We doubt that placebo ointments would help much with fire-ant bites, but we can't explain why toothpaste would help.

Q. I heard that magnetic bracelets might help arthritis pain. My 85-year-old dad suffers terribly and has been taking Celebrex. I worry about that because of the danger to the heart, especially since heart disease runs in my family.

I want to find the bracelets for him if they will work. Others in our family have similar concerns. I had my knees replaced in my mid-50s, and my son in his 30s is already miserable.

A. Magnetic bracelets for arthritis are highly controversial. An article in the Skeptical Inquirer magazine (July/August 2006) maintains that magnet therapy is based on sloppy science.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Magnetic Bracelets for Relieving Pain in Osteoarthritis of the Hip and Knee was published in the British Medical Journal (Dec. 18-25, 2004). These investigators used a bracelet with a weak magnetic field for placebo control. They reported that the "real" magnetic bracelets helped ease arthritis pain.

We have considerable skepticism about magnet therapy, but we have heard from many readers who insist that such treatment helped them. One recently wrote: "I am here to tell you they work! The magnets cured me of arthritis."

Anyone who would like more information on magnets and other approaches may wish to order our guide Alternatives for Arthritis. Please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (63 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. AA-2, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It can also be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. I used to get canker sores in my mouth when I was younger. My mother told me to hold a slice of banana tight against the sore with my tongue, and it works.

You have to hold it there until it stings, about four or five minutes. Riper bananas seem to work better. Seldom have I had a sore that lasted longer than a day, and it certainly tastes better than medicine.

A. A slice of banana certainly sounds like a pleasant treatment for canker sores. We don't know how it would work, though.